Mass Effect: Aftermath
by Rdubs
Summary: Post-Arrival, Pre-ME3 adventures.  For a twist, kept the Collector base.  Trying to thread the needle between events of Arrival and suspected backstory of ME3.  Heavy into the technology of the ME universe.  Bioware owns all.  M!Shep/Miranda pairing.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note: This first chapter reads more like a journal than a story. Its main purpose is to set the stage and background for future chapters, which should read more like a story. Also, sorry for the kind of cliché opening.**_

The deep, bass voice penetrated far into the depths of his soul.

_Your civilization is based on the technology of the mass relays, our technology. By using it, your society develops along the paths we desire._

Commander John Shepard bolted upright as he awoke, unsure of where he was. The first thing he felt was the cold sweat encasing him. His heart raced. _Just a dream_, he told himself. _Just a dream. Again._ As his eyes slowly began to discern a faint blue glow and his ears began to hear a familiar quiet hum, Shepard began to lie back, now aware that he was in his bed aboard the _Normandy_. His heart began to slow to its normal relaxed pace, but his mind was as active as it was seconds ago. He was almost back to horizontal when he felt something under his pillow, and it took him a second to realize what it was.

_Mmmph._ A barely perceptible sound originated from next to the Hero of the Citadel. Shepard glanced over and his heart began beating slightly faster as he remembered the origin of the sound, then slowed down to a more relaxed pace as he allowed himself to be at ease. Next to him, under the covers, and now stirring slightly from the interruption of an otherwise quiet night's sleep was one of the most amazing women he had ever met. Shepard propped himself up on one arm and just stared at the beauty next to him. Her body faced his, her right arm extended under his pillow and her left arm draped across his waist. Slightly awoken by Shepard's sudden movement from waking up from his nightmare, she now felt a pair of eyes softly gazing upon her. Aware that something was a little off, she opened her eyes and, glancing up, met Shepard's.

"John?" Miranda's voice was soft and comforting. "Everything all right?"

_I know she's trying to be supportive, but how do you even begin to answer that question._

Ever since their mission to the Collector Base, nothing had gone according to the way Shepard had planned. During the conversation with the Illusive Man at the Collector Base, Miranda had seemed uncertain about keeping the base. Shepard also had misgivings about simply turning the base over to Cerberus. Spur of the moment, he thought he figured out a way he could "have his cake and eat it too" – use the technology of the base to help fight the Reapers, but put it in better hands than Cerberus. Only it didn't work out that way.

Shepard's plan was simple: Leave the base intact but turn it over to the Council. Shepard saw that as a clear "win-win" – the dangerous technology of the base would be in hands more likely to use it for the benefit of all civilizations as well as have more scientists looking at it than just the staff of Cerberus, and also it would finally prove to the Council that the Reaper threat was real. A slam-dunk.

But there were two things Shepard hadn't counted on. When the _Normandy _ jumped back through the Omega-4 relay into "known space" (as the charted systems are called), Shepard's first act was to establish communications with the Council and let them know of the base. The Council, of course skeptical, wanted to send a Salarian research craft through the Omega-4 relay to verify the claim and size up the scope of work. Shepard willingly transferred the schematics of the Reaper IFF to the Council, but there was a problem: The technology was too advanced to integrate into any current systems. The IFF was able to integrate into the _Normandy_ because the technology with which EDI was constructed with was also partially derived from Reaper technology. So as a result, no ships aside from the _Normandy _could pass through the Omega-4 relay, ending any hope of sending other ships through.

The second thing Shepard hadn't counted on was exactly how stubborn the Council was. Shepard's Plan B was, if we can't send other ships through the relay, let's just put the Council's investigators aboard the _Normandy_ and ferry them to through the relay. Shepard reasoned that given the stakes, the Council would be willing to overlook that the _Normandy_ was still registered under a Cerberus flag. That by itself may have been surmountable, but when the Council determined that a Cerberus vessel would be ferrying Council research teams covertly through the Terminus systems, the Council decided the risks of triggering a war were greater than the "marginal" scientific benefits which would have come from studying the technology. No matter the angle, it seemed the only way the risk-averse Council would agree to study the Collector Base would be if the base was somehow magically transported right next to the Citadel. So Shepard's grand plan of turning the Collector base over to the Council had failed, the only thing coming from it was a very confrontational conversation with the Illusive Man about Shepard's attempt to circumvent Cerberus. Despite a healthy distrust of the Illusive Man, Shepard still found Cerberus a net benefit to his quest to thwart the Reapers. Repairs to the _Normandy _at Minuteman Station, after the Collector Base mission, had been carried out much faster than would have been possible at a normal "civilian" shipyard, and with much greater security too. Not to mention free of charge.

Then there was Miranda. Her relationship with the Illusive Man had cooled ever since her hesitation back on the Collector Base – her comment that keeping the base seemed like a "betrayal" had not escaped the Illusive Man's notice. Coupling that with the fact that he knew she had grown closer to Shepard after the events with her sister, the Illusive Man had begun to secretly question Miranda's loyalty to Cerberus and began excluding her from some of Cerberus' more sensitive operations. Sensing the distrust, Miranda had asked for permission to stay aboard the Normandy until a few more "loose ends" were wrapped up (pitched as hunting any remaining Collector vessels) which the Illusive Man was happy to agree to. That was, until he could determine a better way to deal with - what had suddenly become - the "Miranda issue."

As if that was not enough, there was then the ill-fated attempt to rescue Dr. Amanda Kenson. That certainly did not go according to plan either, resulting in the destruction of the Bahak system including its five planets and hundreds of thousands of Batarian colonists. Even his attempt to warn the colonists – which would have had the side-benefit of supporting Shepard's case that he wasn't trying to murder them – was thwarted when the indoctrinated Dr. Kenson cut off the communication. The _Normandy _escaped, and evidence that Shepard and the _Normandy _were present at the incident quickly circulated throughout the galactic community. Admiral Hackett's debrief of Shepard left the Admiral convinced that Shepard's reasons were just, but both knew it was only a matter of time before a trial would be the only alternative to the Batarians declaring war against the Alliance.

The Bahak incident had also left Cerberus in an awkward position. Although many had labeled Cerberus a "terrorist organization," the frequent use of that label by politicians trying to drum up support had diluted its meaning and most people saw Cerberus as simply a ruthless human special-interest group. However, the Illusive Man was well aware that should word get out that Cerberus was providing "aid and comfort" to the destroyer of the Bahak system, there was little doubt the organization would be implicated as well. As a result, Cerberus had de-registered the _Normandy _yet continued to provide Shepard and his crew with some funding through a series of untraceable shell corporations. It had made Yeoman Chambers' life difficult constantly adjusting the payroll through the many changing bank accounts, but better that then have to find some other means of funding their operations. But Shepard knew that he was currently operating on borrowed time, and things would be coming to fruition fairly soon.

"Hey." Shepard's right arm gently found itself settling on Miranda's left shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Miranda loved the way Shepard seemed to know the most intimate way to connect with her – sometimes through a look, sometimes through a laugh, sometimes through a gentle touch. As he was doing right now.

"Talk to me, Shepard." Her reply was soft, but the use of his last name meant to convey a little more authority than just random pillow talk.

Shepard let out a long exhale before he began to speak, trying to arrange his thoughts. There were so many of them.

"Miranda, the path forward is going to be rough. The demand for a trial over the Alpha Relay incident is growing to the point where the current 'an investigation is ongoing' answer isn't going to work much longer. You know that I believe in the Alliance, and even though it has its bad apples, it's a force of good in the galaxy and I want to be a part of it again. I've never hidden that from you, and I love that you support me in that." In the split second after he uttered it he realized he had used the word _love _– he had been careful about using it in any context as he had no idea how she felt about him. He did know that there was little chance he could end up feeling that way about her, but he truly had no idea if the opposite were true. But in this instance, and in the context, she didn't seem to mind. In fact, he almost felt her warmth even more at the sound of it, but wasn't sure if that was her, him, both, or just his imagination.

"I know John, but –"

"Just let me finish..." Shepard said gently, not meaning to interrupt her but wanting to complete his thought before it became jumbled with others. "When that happens, whatever the galaxy is doing to prepare for the Reapers is likely the course it will stay on until the trial is over. We have to make sure we've set enough of the right things in motion so progress will be made while we're shut down. And by 'we' being shut down I mean the _Normandy _and whatever crew come with me, which I won't allow to include you."

Miranda's soft smile faded as Shepard concluded his sentence. She wanted to tell him that she would surrender herself along with him, but she knew that not only would he never allow her to get caught in any fallout related to him, she also knew that HE knew she could do a lot more good preparing for the Reapers if she had no encumbrances.

"I know John. But until that time comes, promise me you'll not let concern of the future affect you and I in the here and now." Miranda's words were always soothing to Shepard. This time was no different.

"That would be a lot easier, Miranda, if I could be sure the knowledge anyone will gain from the Collector Base will be a net benefit to fighting the Reapers."

Miranda's look went from soft to quizzical. "How do you mean Shepard? They certainly couldn't have expected us organics to capture the base."

Shepard was well-prepared in his response, as he had been agonizing over it for months. "Yes, but remember Sovereign's admission, that all known advanced technology is based off their technology. If we spend time researching along the same paths, even if we are better prepared they might be able to adapt a lot faster to whatever advances we make because they are familiar with the technology. Had we instead spent that time trying to invent completely different ways of fighting back, it would be more likely to uncover methods the Reapers _wouldn't _be expecting. We'll never know what tools we _won't_ have to use against them as a result of studying the tools they left behind in the Collector Base."

"All true, Shepard." Miranda's response alarmed Shepard, as he was expecting her to try some words a little more consoling. "But think of it like this...the only people researching the Collector technology are Cerberus. The rest of the galaxy is free to develop other methods to fight the Reapers."

Shepard breathed a little easier at Miranda's kind words, but he knew there was still a vast struggle ahead. "You're right. So I guess it goes back to what I was thinking, that we need to get as many things working in the right direction as possible before our time is up." Shepard let out a long exhale, finally breathing a little easier for the first time in quite a while. "Thanks."

Miranda's left leg gently raised itself up along the length of Shepard's lower half, finally coming to rest at his midsection, just under her left arm. Shepard could feel her warmth now, pressing gently against his left hip. Shepard removed his left arm from holding his head up and gently placed it under the pillow beneath Miranda's head, their faces now just inches away. Shepard felt Miranda move slightly closer as she softly uttered the words, "Kiss me."

Shepard was happy to oblige. For a moment, the universe could wait.


	2. Chapter 2

"EDI, assemble the crew."

"_Right away, Shepard."_ EDI's response was always prompt and pleasant, albeit artificial.

A few minutes later John Shepard entered the briefing room. Jacob and Miranda, along with most of the Cerberus crew, instinctively came to attention and saluted. The others ceased talking and stood more upright as a sign of respect for the man who had led them through what could easily have been a one-way mission. Only the sensors and engineering stations were manned, allowing almost the entire ship's compliment to fill the crowded room.

Of the team which had accompanied him on the mission to the Collector Base, only Zaeed and Samara were no longer present. Shepard was happy to see Zaeed depart. In fact, had Zaeed not left of his own accord at completion of his contract with Cerberus, Shepard would have asked him to leave. _Maybe we already do have a problem_, Zaeed had told Shepard during the expedition to tie up Zaeed's loose end. Those words had burned into Shepard's mind. _No one_ put their own agenda ahead of the mission.

Samara's departure was under much different circumstances. Her oath to Shepard fulfilled, the duties of a Justicar regained priority in her life. The entire crew was saddened to see her go. All hoped to see her again.

Miranda's voice broke the silence. "All present and accounted for, Commander."

"Thank you Miranda. As you all know, the destruction of the Bahak relay has bought us a little more time to prepare for the Reapers. But the Batarians want revenge. Admiral Hackett is helping us by launching a formal inquiry and it will take them time to collect evidence. That means two things.

"First." Shepard glanced around the room. As expected all was quiet, and all eyes were trained on him. "At some point I intend to surrender myself and the _Normandy_ to the Alliance. But before that happens, we need to build some momentum. The galaxy still doesn't want to believe the Reaper threat is real. So we have to get as many things moving in the right direction as possible before our time is up.

"Second." Shepard hesitated before continuing. Partially for effect, and partially because it was something he was hoping he could have his crew avoid. But there was no avoiding this. "It's no longer safe to be on this ship. The _Normandy_ and myself are both wanted criminals in the eyes of a lot of the galaxy. Cerberus has done a good job of masking the identities of this team and the crew. But there's a good chance wherever we are seen, word will get out and someone will come for us.

"I know none of you are afraid of danger. But there is no sense in putting yourself in unnecessary danger. Each of you must decide if you wish to stay for the remainder. Whatever that may be."

Another pause for effect. And to signify he was almost done.

"No need to make a decision now, just let Yeoman Chambers know so we can adjust."

Shepard's eyes scanned the room. Some of the crew looked distant, but none looked away from him.

"Regardless of your decision, it has been an honor serving with each and every one of you." Shepard placed both arms behind his lower back and straightened up even further, as the crew had seen him do many times before making a formal statement. The one which followed was no different.

"Dismissed. Specialist team, please stay."

_A few minutes later_

Shepard's Collector Base team gathered around the table, attentive as ever. Shepard's tone was slightly more serious than usual. "As I said, you have all completed what you signed up for. Many of you still have unfinished things to do elsewhere and can be of more use preparing for the Reapers by doing so. Speak with me after this if you want to go, and I know some of your have already been called back" – Shepard gave Tali a quick glance, and she acknowledged it with a slight nod – "but there is still a little good we can do before we hang up our hats.

"I am open to all ideas to help the galaxy prepare for the storm ahead. And we'll explore every possibility, and fight any fight…." Shepard's cadence was interrupted by a deep _thud_ as Grunt's fist connected with his open palm. Shepard paused for a moment as a smirk came across his face. _He sure loves to do that._

"I think you get the gist. For starters though, let's rewind. The original _Normandy._" Silence filled the room. Shepard could tell the team wasn't sure where he was going by bringing up the past. "Joker."

"Right here, Commander." Joker was as curious as anyone where this was leading.

"Two year ago. Sensors called out an unknown contact, which turned out to be the Collector vessel. How long before that ship changed course towards the Normandy after it first showed up." Although this technically was a question, Shepard intentionally ended it with the inflection of a statement. The crew knew him well enough to know that when he did this, he already knew the answer and was mostly asking just to engage the audience.

Joker felt a little uncomfortable with those memories but responded instinctively. "I don't know exactly Commander, but it was pretty quick. Less than ten seconds."

"Right. Now, next question. How did they find us." Again, the statement-question. Although this time everyone knew that no one knew the answer.

Tali was the first to speak. "Shepard it is highly likely that they used something other than traditional passive infrared thermal imaging. The _Normandy_'s heat sink and skin refrigeration systems were operating within normal parameters at the time and so the ship's thermal signature would have been hard to distinguish from background noise."

"Precisely, Tali'Zorah. We might not be able to design and build a super weapon to knock out Reapers given what we have here on the ship and within the limited time we have left, however aided by a distant and uneasy relationship with Cerberus, but I'm hoping we can at least clear up the mystery of how they found us. There's not enough stealth platforms in commission to make stealth a key part of fighting them. But knowing how some of their sensor technology works could be valuable in other ways, maybe jamming it." As far as Shepard knew, the only stealth ships in existence were the _Normandy SR-2_ and the Alliance frigate _SSV Ain Jalut._

The normally quiet Drell was the first to respond. "Interesting view Shepard. Even the most powerful weapon must be aimed." Thane rarely spoke, but when he did, it was usually worth hearing.

"That's what I'm hoping. There's more we can do, but maybe that's a start." Shepard was confident in his leadership. He knew the team would follow his direction simply because it was the direction he determined. But it never hurt to have genuine buy-in to an idea. "Now…where do we start?"

_A few hours later_

The Combat Information Center (CIC) was quiet as the _Normandy_ approached the Omega-4 relay. They had not been through the relay since the initial trip to the Collector Base. Shepard was concerned that Cerberus would have figured out a way to essentially sabotage the Reaper IFF to prevent them from going back through, in case Shepard changed his mind and later wanted to try to destroy the base. But as the distance to the relay closed the systems responded as they had before and Shepard breathed a little easier. EDI and Tali had developed some improvements to the ship's systems since the initial trip, such as an automated shunt to redirect the initial energy surge into a makeshift capacitor, and as a result there were a lot fewer system alarms sounding than before.

The trip through the relay was almost as violent as it was the first time. The function of the Reaper IFF was to enable protocols in the Omega-4 Relay which refined its trajectory to the point where it would deposit vessels into a small "safe zone" which was only a few kilometers wide. Outside of that zone, the constantly shifting gravitational forces would tear apart the hull of even the most sturdy vessel.

The problem was that over time the hulks and debris from the unauthorized-entry wrecks gradually drifted into that safe zone. Only Joker's quick reactions and expert piloting had kept the _Normandy_ from colliding with the larger pieces during their first trip through the relay. However, EDI had recorded the locations and extrapolated the drift paths of the pieces they encountered. As a result, although the _Normandy_ pitched and rolled much as it had before, this time it was carefully calculated and much less stressful.

"Clear." Joker let out a long exhale after he spoke. Even though they had made this journey once before, that was no guarantee the second time would be successful as well.

The sensor operator was the first to speak. This was standard Alliance protocol after a ship had jumped into a new area. Unless there was a ship systems emergency, the most important thing was to know what else was in the area. "Passive IR detecting three vessels. Two bearing near the Collector Base, cruiser size. One off the starboard side, two kilometers, corvette size."

From his perch overlooking the CIC, Shepard studied the tactical overlay. When the ship was not "tactical", as it was called, the area forward of the rear elevated platform displayed the galaxy map and facilitated planning and plotting the _Normandy_'s movements through systems. However, when the ship was on a tactical footing, the galaxy map was replaced with a 3D rendering of the space around the Normandy. Anything detected by sensors was displayed on the map, as were any mission objectives and other "bookmarks" stored in the navigational database. Currently the map was showing a large green "blob" signifying the Collector Base, two orange ovals near the base signifying the two unknown ships with only an approximate range, and – of most immediate concern – one small orange dot near the Normandy.

The crew stirred uneasily at their stations. These could easily be more Collector vessels. The _Normandy _had handedly defeated a single Collector vessel before, but was also lucky in that it avoided the incoming fire. The Collector vessel they encountered used a particle beam weapon – which kinetic barriers provide no defense against, since the attack uses energy as opposed to high-speed projectiles. It would be very hard, possibly impossible, for the Normandy to dodge multiple incoming streams of fire and no one wanted to test the strength of the armor in a situation like that.

But Shepard had a feeling what these ships might be. That helped him project an aura of calm while he waited for the followup sensor report. "Corvette signature abeam matches Cerberus fast recon ship. NCTR still analyzing larger signatures."

NCTR stood for Non-Cooperative Target Recognition, a standard system on more advanced spacefaring vessels. The infrared imagery coming in was matched against a library of known signatures stored in the ship's database. What made the process difficult though was each image had to be analyzed against all possible angles, requiring an enormous amount of computing power. Complicating matters was that contacts farther away had less clear images due to sensor resolution limits.

Shepard's voice finally broke the silence. "We're not trying to hide from Cerberus, at least not yet. Engineering, disengage stealth systems. Sensors, activate LADAR." When the _Normandy_ was "running silent," any systems which required active emissions were disengaged, including the ship's LADAR. LADAR sensors used an array of low-power ultraviolet-band lasers to rapidly scan the surrounding space, and any reflections were registered and analyzed. Unlike passive sensors which could only provide a range estimate based on motion and signal strength, LADAR was also able to provide both an exact range to the target and a better resolution image which enabled quick identification. The downside was it advertised a ship's presence.

In less than a second, the imagery on the tactical display seemed to come to life. Numerous small grey dots began to appear, signifying some of the larger chunks of wreckage. The two orange blobs near the Collector Base instantly became distinct points, showing one was docked with the base and the other in a slow orbit nearby.

The next report, as expected, came from the sensor operator. "Docked ship matches standard freighter signature. Remaining ship classified as Cerberus heavy assault ship."

A rapid chirping sound emanated from the communications console. "Commander we are being hailed by the nearby corvette."

"Patch them through." Shepard was hoping for the best, that relations with Cerberus were at least warm enough that there wouldn't be any trouble.

The audio came through the CIC's loudspeakers. "_Normandy,_ this is Cerberus vessel F-217." Cerberus was not big on assigning names to assets. "Your arrival is unexpected. State your business."

Shepard was quick to realize that the Cerberus vessels probably had standing orders to stop any attempt by the Normandy to make a move on the Collector Base. He tried to weave in that theory into his reply.

"Cerberus vessel F-217, this is _Normandy._ We come to survey the wreckage of a Collector vessel at these coordinates." Shepard brought up his omni-tool and quickly broadcast the bookmark EDI had previously made. "We do not need to approach the base and will depart upon completion of our survey."

There were several seconds of silence. "Stand by _Normandy._" The CIC was quiet except for the hum of the ventilation systems and the occasional beeping of a console. Although there was some tension, the crew knew they had been through much worse and was confident their commander could get them through just about any situation.

"_Normandy_ you are cleared to proceed to your coordinates. However please depart upon completion of your business."

EDI's artificial voice followed shortly after the corvette's message. "Commander I have detected a transmission from the Cerberus assault ship informing Cerberus Command of our presence and requesting contingency support."

Shepard shook his head. _Typical._ "Thanks EDI."

"Cerberus vessel, this is _Normandy._ Understood. _Normandy_ out."

"Joker, lay in a course for the Collector wreck. Tali, it's your show from here."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: I've realized that although I may find dabbling in the technology of ME interesting, it's harder than I thought to turn into a gripping story. So I'm going to phase out of that into more action. But even with that, I'm not sure how much life this story has left in it. Also, even though Shepard by all rights should be called "Captain," I am making a conscious effort to continue to call him by his rank instead to help the story flow better with the cadence of the games. I think Bioware just keeps calling him Commander to not confuse people.**_

_**Normandy SR-2, near the galactic core**_

The _Normandy SR-2_ slowly approached the wreckage of the Collector vessel. The destruction of their former opponent was thorough and impressive.

"Switch to visual and magnify."

The secondary sensor operator called up a short series of commands on his interface. Within seconds the tactical display disappeared and was replaced by an image of the wreckage.

Glimmers faded in and out as pieces of debris slowly twisted and turned. The bow section could barely be distinguished, identifiable only due to the large cavity from which its primary weapon emitted. Another larger piece of wreckage, likely a piece of the stern, was surrounded by small clouds of frozen liquid. _What a mess_, Shepard thought to himself. Anyone else looking at the image was having a similar thought.

"Tali, this looks pretty bad. Any ideas?" The sensor arrays on most ships consisted of a series of networked photoimagers, capable of detecting light far above and below the ranges of the human eye. The sensing elements were also refrigerated to a temperature near absolute zero in order to increase the contrast of any incoming signal. However, no one had any idea what method their former opponent had used, making it hard to look for pieces of equipment from it.

"Hard to say, Shepard." Tali's reply came from Engineering, but most workstations aboard the Normandy had the ability to act as "repeaters" and mirror other displays. Tali's display was currently mirroring the visual imagery being piped into CIC. "Most sensors tend to be mounted on the hull. Maybe we should try to find sections of the outer hull and see if anything pops out?"

"Sounds good. I guess the only thing we need to figure out is…" Before Shepard could finish his thought, EDI's holographic avatar appeared.

"Apologies for the interruption Shepard, but we just received a coded message via Quantum Entanglement. Admiral Hackett urgently needs to speak with you."

Miranda immediately interjected. "Wait a minute. I thought Quantum Entanglement could only connect to The Illusive Man. How is the Admiral using it?"

"You are correct. For this to happen, the Admiral must have contacted Cerberus directly and asked them to pass the message."

Shepard moved his head slightly indicating he now understood. _This must be pretty damn important for him to risk doing that,_ Shepard pondered. He was sure the Admiral had tried to reach the _Normandy_ via traditional FTL communications, but without a relay buoy in the Omega-4 system there was no way to communicate in or out, aside from a ship entering or leaving the system.

"Tali, looks like we're going to have to postpone this. It's going to take some time to survey this and look for clues. I'm sure it will still be here when we get back." Shepard tried to make light of the situation but he was just as disappointed as anyone at not being able to resolve their mystery.

"Understood, Commander. Maybe the engineering team and I can use the time to…hang on one second."

Shepard and Miranda shared a look, both curious about what was to follow.

"Commander, Jack just had a rather interesting idea. We might not need to study a large section of the hull, we might find clues in smaller pieces. But instead of trying to survey the pieces one at time, what if we took a few seconds to bring aboard some pieces and study them later. Then we might not need to come back."

_Hmm. _Shepard was not too keen on the idea of delaying, but the possibility of not needing to return – and deal with Cerberus again – made it worth considering.

"Tali's there's just one problem, it's going to take some time to make up some salvage gear and EVA those pieces on board." EVA stood for Extra-Vehicular Activity, meaning sending individuals outside the ship in spacesuits. It was always high-risk.

"That's what Jack's suggestion is about. Just open the shuttle bay door and proceed slowly through a debris field."

Shepard pondered the idea. Starships were not in the habit of doing such things, as the ship's primary kinetic barriers would have to be lowered which could allow a fast-moving piece of debris to gunshot its way through the ship's innards. Such an impact could do untold damage. There were also crates of supplies and some volatile chemicals stored in the hold, which might not take too kindly to being slammed by large pieces of metal.

But it was worth the risk. "Tali, you coordinate from down there. Joker, align to the nearest large debris field. Try to avoid the big chunks. Wait for Tali's signal."

Hardly a moment went by before Tali's voice was heard once again from the CIC loudspeakers. "Engineering ready."

"Helm ready."

Tali took control. "Joker go ahead through the debris, 25 meters per second please."

"25 MPS, Helm aye." Joker pressed a few buttons on his display and the ship's engines began to glow a faint blue, barely edging the _Normandy_ ahead.

Tali monitored her screen and saw that the engines were engaged. "Opening bay door and dropping kinetic barriers….now." Her fingers flew over the interface and the ship responded immediately.

Seconds later, a faint _thud_ sound was heard and the ship shook slightly as a piece of debris careened off a crate in the cargo hold and smashed into the port bulkhead of the cargo hold. Ken and Gabby exchanged a look, both thinking _that couldn't have been good._

Suddenly, a combination of higher-pitched pinging sounds reverberated throughout the ship, accompanied by an occasional lower-pitched _whap_. The _Normandy_ had entered the debris field and all sizes of wreckage were now impacting the hull. Although the armor was strong enough to prevent a breach by anything less than an enormous piece, the hull itself was littered with sensors, antenna and other sensitive equipment which was sensitive to impact. Ken was watching his systems diagnostic screen closely, keeping a mental scorecard of how much work he would have ahead of him repairing the damage from this rather unorthodox maneuver.

A prolonged scraping sound was heard as a larger piece of debris dragged and banged itself down the starboard side of the hull, everyone on board's eyes following the sound along inside as it made its way along the ship's length. Luckily it cleared without incident, which resulted in Miranda shooting a look to Shepard that said _I sure hope you know what you're doing_ instead of something more serious.

Two painfully tense minutes later, the sound of gravel being dumped on the hull began to die down as the _Normandy_ cleared the three-kilometer wide debris field. Satisfied that the ship was still in one piece, Tali's hands once more flew over her interface and the sound of impacts stopped completely as the kinetic barriers came back on line.

"Engineering to CIC. We are clear the debris, kinetic barriers reengaged."

"Roger, Tali. Damage report."

"Stand by…" There was a moment of silence as Tali spoke with Ken and Gabby. "Propulsion and defense systems online. Minor damage to some IES heat exchangers. Some damage to backup sensor arrays and triangulation antennas."

Shepard began to breathe a little easier that there was no major damage, as did the rest of the crew. "Joker lay in a course to the relay, maximum speed."

"Aye aye, Commander. Course laid in, ETA 20 minutes."

"XO, you have the conn. Secure from battlestations. I'll be down in Engineering. "

With a prompt, "Aye Aye," Miranda gave her captain a nod and called up a diagram of the ship to get a better feel for any damage.

Himself, Shepard wanted to see what exactly was now occupying the cargo hold. He wasted no time entering the elevator and pressing the button for Deck 4.

_**Normandy, Engineering deck, near the galactic core**_

Shepard stepped out of the elevator and immediately made for the window overlooking the cargo bay. Tali, Jack and Gabby were already there looking out over the scene. The pristine layout and cleanliness with which Shepard remembered the cargo bay was no more, replaced by a miniature version of the equipment junkyard found on Korlus. One of the cooling units formerly mounted to the cargo hold deck had been dislodged and was now on its side, its ruptured hose connections isolated remotely from Ken's workstation. Numerous dents and impact marks littered the bulkhead walls. The Kodiak shuttle was relatively unscathed, someone having thought to remotely activate its nagivational shields before the scavenging run commenced. _Pretty smart_, Shepard though.

Tali noticed that someone had joined their small group. "Oh, hello Shepard."

"Tali. So what do we have?"

Tali glanced once more at the scene through the windows. "It's going to take some time to go through all that. I'll let you know as soon as we find something."

"Thanks. I just hope it was worth the delay. Jack, you thought of this plan? Rather intricate. Good job."

Jack turned to Shepard to speak, but Tali cut her off. "Actually Shepard, technically Jack's recommendation was, 'Why don't we just plow through all that shit and scoop it up like a vacuum.'"

Shepard's face broke into his characteristic slight smirk. "Whatever," Jack said, looking back through the windows at the junkheap below. "The fewer jumps through that relay and running into Cerberus pricks, the better."

Shepard nodded his head as he turned around and entered Engineering to get a more detailed debrief on the damage before heading back up to CIC.

_**Normandy, Combat Information Center, near the galactic core**_

Shepard exited the elevator and nodded to Miranda, who had looked over her shoulder when she heard the elevator open. She nodded back, signifying everything was under control and no issues.

"Thanks, XO. Captain has the conn. Joker ETA to the relay?"

"Two minutes Commander."

"Very well."

The jump back through the relay into known space was uneventful.

_**Normandy, Combat Information Center, Omega system**_

The _Normandy _completed her deceleration a moment before the mass effect core was disengaged. As was practice, the crew remained quiet until the initial report from sensors.

The lack of heat signature traces on the tactical display was an indication that they were likely alone. Nonetheless, the primary sensor operator's voice was the first one to break the silence. "No close contacts."

Any other words usually meant that something was close enough to be a potential threat.

The communications operator was the next to speak. "Commander, we are receiving an incoming message from 5th Fleet Command."

"Patch them through."

After a brief delay the galaxy map was replaced with a fuzzy and shifting image of an Alliance officer. The image quality improved rapidly as the communications system began to better filter out background noise. "_Normandy, _this is 5th Fleet Command. Stand by for 5th Fleet Proper."

Moments later Admiral Hackett appeared. "Shepard. You've been hard to reach."

Shepard noticed that the admiral was not referring to him as "Commander," instead just using his last name. _I wonder if they've stripped my rank,_ he thought. _I'll know soon enough._

"Admiral. We were on the other side of the Omega-4 relay looking into something. How can I help?"

Normally, a statement like _on the other side of the Omega-4 relay_ would stop anyone in their tracks and result in a long discussion about what exactly is on the other side of the relay and how did you survive it. However Admiral Hackett seemed unphased as he continued.

"We've lost contact with one of our forward patrol groups. One cruiser - the _Frankfurt_ – and two frigates, the _Marathon_ and _Trafalgar._ They were following a standard, routine patrol pattern near the Skyllian Verge, but most disturbingly not far from Alliance space."

"Could be the Batarians," Shepard interjected.

"That's our theory. But an outright attack on Alliance ships is an act of war. And them doing so this close to Alliance space likely means they are hoping for a quick response from a large Alliance force, probably large enough to trigger an even larger response from Batarian state forces. So instead of risking that escalation, I'm hoping you can discretely investigate. Even from Omega, you're the closest covert ship we have."

Shepard thought for a moment about the admiral's words _we have._ At least he didn't consider the _Normandy_ and her crew adversaries.

"Send us the coordinates Admiral. We'll head there immediately."

"Thank you Shepard. Sending coordinates now. I don't need to tell you there is a good chance this could be a trap."

"Understood Admiral. We'll let you know what we find."

"Thanks again Shepard. 5th Fleet out." A second later, Hackett's image faded and the galaxy map once again appeared.

"Joker, what's our ETA to the coordinates."

"Three primary relay jumps Commander, then one secondary relay. Little over two hours."

Shepard looked down at the galaxy map, then back up. Bringing up his omni-tool, he selected shipwide announcement.

A small high-low beep sounded indicated Shepard's voice would now be heard throughout the ship. "Attention all hands. 5th Fleet has asked us to look into the disappearance of a cruiser and two frigates near the border between Alliance and Batarian space. There is a good chance of encountering hostile opposition. Stand down for now, take a break and be ready to go by 15:00 hours."

_**Normandy, Combat Information Center, Skyllian Verge**_

The crew having been forewarned, the announcement was almost unnecessary.

"Man battle stations." Five seconds of rapid electronic gonging followed, then the verbal announcement repeated. Ship technology may have advanced to the point where water was no longer needed for ship movement but some practices were hard to replace.

The list of stations on Miranda's screen changed one at a time from red to green, indicating the stations had called in as ready for action. Most of the crew had already been at or near their station anyway and as such the response was unusually quick.

As soon as the last station on her list turned from red to green, Miranda informed Shepard, "All stations manned and ready, Commander."

"Very well, XO. Joker are we ready for the last jump?"

"Helm ready, Commander. Secondary relay, this will be a short one. Relay is ready." Unlike the large long-range Primary relays, the shorter-range Secondary relays had a variety of destinations available. In the this case the _Normandy_ had programmed the relay to align to the same destination the missing ships would have followed.

"Stand by to engage stealth systems the moment we land. Joker take us through."

"Aye Aye, Commander. Activating relay in three, two, one…."

A flash of light later the _Normandy_ was instantly transported a hundred light-years away.

_**Normandy, Combat Information Center, Skyllian Verge, output of secondary relay**_

With the standard soft jolt of deceleration, the _Normandy_ completed its relay jump.

All eyes were upon the tactical display, residing where the galaxy map was before the jump. Best case after completing a jump was always have none, or at least very faint, contact lines stretching out from the _Normandy's_ position on the map. This meant passive sensors were not detecting anything nearby. This time however, five bright lines immediately spiked outwards from the _Normandy's_ position, each in different directions, replaced seconds later by small red spheres close abroad as the sensor algorithms determined an approximate range based on signal strength and motion pattern.

"Commander, sensors show five contacts, three cruiser-size and…"

The sensor operator's report was drowned by a rapid _chirp…chirp…chirp_ sound from the LADAR intercept receiver. The _Normandy's_ sensors could detect when another ship's LADAR scan signal had passed over them, and seeing as how LADAR was used for both detection and targeting, these "intercepts" were converted into audio cues to give the crew immediate input on anyone trying to find them.

The sensor operator pushed through the distraction to complete the initial detection report. "Three cruisers and two frigates. Estimated ranges, cruisers 50km, frigates 30km. Encirclement pattern. Commander we are being…."

The _chirp _sound coming from the intercept receiver was replaced by a constant, steady high-pitched tone as the first enemy cruiser achieved a hard target lock on the _Normandy_.

Shepard knew the game was up. The _Normandy's_ stealth system was based on preventing detection from long-range passive infrared sensors. However, the skin of the _Normandy_ reflected light just as any other, making it vulnerable to optical detection methods like LADAR. This meant that close in – or if you knew exactly where to focus a beam - once a target was detected by LADAR, especially the target was locked by having a constant beam applied, there was no avoiding it.

"Raise barriers! Joker, evasive maneuvers!"

The _Normandy_ began to accelerate and pitch up as the first incoming round, unimpeded by still-raising kinetic barriers from the failed attempt to slip in stealthily, slammed at a fraction of light speed into the lower section of the _Normandy's _hull.


End file.
